Thread: Hundreds of Lab Monkeys Killed for Growing Too Large?

Hundreds of Lab Monkeys Killed for Growing Too Large?

by Alicia Graef
November 6, 2012 4:00 am

An undercover investigation conducted by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) has uncovered the senseless slaughter of hundreds of monkeys at the Noveprim primate breeding farm in Mauritius.

“This barbaric slaughter is set to continue throughout October and November, allegedly because overseas laboratories are requesting primates weighing less than 3.5kg. The majority of monkeys being killed are adult males weighing over 4kg although the BUAV has learned that Noveprim is also killing pregnant females and baby monkeys because the farm no longer has a use for these animals. The killing of these highly sensitive, intelligent animals is totally unacceptable,” according to the BUAV.

Images gathered during the investigation show piles of mutilated monkeys in overflowing trash cans, while excess bodies were left stacked on the floor and still more were left in a larger container before being incinerated.

Noveprim is a major exporter of monkeys for research to the U.S., Spain and the UK and is notably almost half owned by Covance Laboratories, a contract research organization with testing facilities around the world that is notorious for its cruel mistreatment of animals.

The BUAV has been working towards ending the primate trade in Mauritius since 2010, when it conducted an investigation into the capture and breeding of monkeys on the island. The organization estimates that 10,000 monkeys are sold there every year. The majority of the monkeys are subjected to toxicology tests for new drugs, while the rest are used to study other diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

“This is a cruel and senseless slaughter. It is unacceptable that monkeys who have been exploited for years are now simply discarded because they are of no further use to this company. These monkeys should be released into the wild so that they can live out the rest of their lives freely. By importing monkeys from this company, the UK is perpetuating this appalling cruelty. The BUAV calls on the UK Government to ban the import of primates from Mauritius immediately,” said Sarah Kite, BUAV’s Director of Special Projects.

The BUAV is now asking the Prime Minister of Mauritius to stop the killing and release monkeys back into the wild, in addition to asking the UK government to ban the import of monkeys from Mauritius.

For more information, visit the BUAV’s campaign Save Our Monkeys.



Hundreds of Lab Monkeys Killed for Growing Too Large? | Care2 Causes

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Read more:animal cruelty, animal testing, buav, mauritius, monkeys

Related: http://www.alipac.us/f19/if-you-need...ml#post1312489